Andrea Toney is a dental professional by day and self-taught cosmetic formulator the rest of the time. Based in Kansas, her company, 86th & Glow, uses hemp production to provide a range of cosmetics for the discerning consumer. Let’s chat with Andrea and find out how she pushed passed society’s stigmas and glammed up this holistic approach to beauty.
How did the idea of 86th and glow originate?
“So much happened in 2020 within the black community, the world was waking up and I was on my own personal journey also. I wasn’t wearing any make up which was extremely hard for me to do because I’m a girly girl and I love makeup. While on my natural skincare journey, I discovered hemp infusedproducts. I loved cannabis prior to this journey but when it came to using hemp in beauty products, I just had to try them. And they worked, but I still needed to combine brands like Glossier or Clinique to get what my skin needed. I started looking at the market and saw that there was no combination like mine and if there was, none of those brands appealed to my demographics. That’s how 86th & Glow came about.”
“This brand is just uniquely made; the ingredients are not basic at all. I have no chemistry background, but I was in contact with different cosmetic chemist who approved my formulas. When society see’s my products they won’t think a black girl made this, but I did!”
What products do you offer?
“We prelaunch May 2021 and I have male and female products. One of the first featured products will be my lip treatment followed by my cleanser moisturizer and face serum. All the products pay homage to cannabis and culture, when you see our products, you’ll know it was created by a black person or minority because of the design. And when each product drops, amonthly donation will be made to nonprofits who fight the war on drugs.”
How has cannabis and hemp helped you personally?
“When I was 18 years old, I got a drug felony because I was playing Bonnie and took a case for my boyfriend. I come from a good family and was always involved in extracurricular activities like modeling and cheerleading, but I had this love for D boys. Fortunately, I never had any prior convictions, so I didn’t have to serve any jail time if I completed my probation. They let me go, but the police were constantly pulling me over and taking me to jail for anything, it was just like what you see in the movies, it was crazy for real!”
“ I had some down moments because while all my friends attended HBCU’s, I was stuck in Kansas on probation. Harvard Law School expunged my record and I thank God for that program because I was able to go back to dental school and create a life for myself. Things could have really gone left for me, but I did not give up and the cannabis industry allows me to tell my story.”
“ All the situations I’ve been through are traumatic and cannabis has been my medicine because I don’t want to take a pill. I prefer cannabis over alcohol because it helps with my stress and anxiety and it also helped me create a career that I feel will empower other women. I know so many people who are dealing with health issues like fibromyalgia, cancer or just chronic pain and cannabis has helped them, like why is it taking so long to legalize this?“
What’s 86th and Glow’s wow factor? What makes 86th & glow pop?
“The products have good shit in them, they are different and unique. I love the fact that my team consist of minority women from various ethnic groups, and they are all educated in their field. We also hold ‘couch discussion’ about what it’s like being a minority woman in skincare in a predominately white state like Kansas. So, not only are we building a brand, but we’re also building a sisterhood. Being able to destigmatize the plant through beauty is everything because I’m a lover of beauty and every woman deserves to feel beautiful especially minority women. There’s no need to keep glowing in the dark!
How are you advocating on behalf of cannabis and hemp?
“ In Kansas, the legality of cannabis is still in the works, we are still trying to get medicinal, and I don’t think they are going to let us have the flower just tinctures and edibles. I have a meeting next month with the Vice President of the Democratic chair here in Wichita to discuss cannabis. And we will also be pitching to a huge roster of investors in the upcoming weeks regarding social equity and 86th & Glow.”
What would you like our readers to know overall about 86thand Glow?
At the end of the day, I’m a real woman, I wear my bonnet at night, and everything. This brand does not conform! We want people to be themselves. My main thing was to mix hemp with beauty and do it for the culture. When we walk in Sephora, we see Rihanna and we have Fenti beauty but when it comes to hemp beauty, we are not on that level in stores like ULTA and Sephora. The brands that are taking our slang are making so much money while we go to prison and barely get shelf space.
You can follow 86th & Glow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/86thandglow
